Myth
by kimberlybluebelle
Summary: When Hawkeye is sent out on a recruitment mission he gets more than he bargained for. Who is Myth and what does SHIELD want with her?
1. Prologue

"Agent Barton, I'm asking you to do your job," Nick Fury ordered with no patience in his tone. "I don't care what you are doing; you get your ass together and head out on assignment."

Clint Barton huffed rudely and turned over the packet that was mailed to his apartment without interest. Why the hell would Fury be asking him to tail a twenty-one year old from the Boston area? From what he could see, there was nothing all that strange or dangerous about her. She was five foot two inches tall with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. Her father was killed in a house fire when she was five. From there she was adopted by an elderly couple who had since passed. Now she owned a small but surprisingly successful patisserie. There was nothing that SHIELD could possibly need with her.

Natasha stirred in her sleep beside him and he found his hand resting on the small of her back. She was truly beautiful.

"Do you hear me, Agent?" Fury barked again.

Clint rolled his eyes. "With all due respect, sir, I've read the assignment and I think it's a waste of my time. You could have any agent work recon on this mark."

"I don't _want_ any other agent. I want _you_." Clint sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I'll have her in a week or so."


	2. Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?

Well, it's just a begining... Let me know what you think! Reviews are always appreciated. They help me be a better writer! (:

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Chapter One: Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?

Noel Gallagher rubbed her temples as she leaned against her industrial oven. God Almighty, her migraines were coming back full force and she was not prepared to deal with them today! She let out a groan and closed her eyes tightly, methodically massaging her forehead as if trying to smooth the pain away. Her assistant baker, Shay, noticed this and placed two Advil in Noel's hand. She mumbled some semblance of a thank you before swallowing the pills dry.

"Maybe you should take off for today?" the older woman advised tentatively.

"I can't run a business if I'm not here," Noel responded a little harsher than she had originally planned to.

"You look like hell," her friend pointed out. "Get out of here; I'll call Andrew in… I know you hate the idea but you should really get those migraines checked out. It could be something serious."

Her head pounded with her pulse, causing Noel to scowl and grab her leather jacket. "I'll think about it. You might be right though; I think I'm just going to head out…" She slipped her coat on over her black tee and rubbed her face again.

"Get some rest, honey," Shay called out behind her as Noel stumbled her way around the counter and out the front door.

To be honest, Noel wasn't too worried about her migraines because she had them her whole life. Every couple of months or so she would get a terrible headache, take a short nap and then wake up fine. Unfortunately for her, these headaches were becoming more and more frequent. Right now, this was more than pain; it was torment. She quickly lost her footing in the alleyway on her way home and bumped into a man. He wore a grey t-shirt and sunglasses. He looked to be in his mid to early forties and obviously a body builder. He held his arms out to steady her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his eyebrow quirking over his sunglasses.

"Yes, fine," she mumbled, wincing in pain. "Sorry."

Suddenly Noel felt the pain subside, now all she felt was an odd sensation of numbness.

o-o

Clint felt his mark go slightly limp in his arms and felt a minor spark of concern. Despite how inconvenient this mission was, she was still a civilian and as an agent instinct demanded that he must protect civilians. He had been tailing her for a little less than a week and found nothing strange about her except for the fact that she suffered from severe migraines. Suddenly, he felt her stiffen slightly and when her gaze met his he almost thought her to be a different woman. He watched as he eyes narrowed in distaste and her lips turned up into a sneer. He took a cautious step away from her.

"You're following me…" she stated, her eyes seeming to darken with this knowledge.

Clint cleared his throat. "Miss Gallagher, I am Agent Barton and I was sent by SHIELD to apprehend you and deliver you to headquarters."

She seemed to process this information with disgust and it was a look that Clint did not find the least bit comforting. She let out a low chuckle and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Oh, I know who you are," she cooed, pacing around him like a cat circles a mouse. "I know a lot about you, Agent Barton. You seem to be a little confused though."

"How am I confused?" He kept his finger on his tranquilizer gun.

"Are you planning on shooting me with that thing, Agent? I think that's going to cause an awful lot of commotion, don't you agree?" She looked around to make sure no one was watching before she cupped her hands and held them out for him to see.

He struggled to keep a straight face as her right hand began to glow a fierce orange and the other blue, the right had begun to radiate a violent heat whilst her left began to frost over. She grinned devilishly before adopting a fighting stance. He quickly withdrew the tranquilizer gun and held it out as a meager defense. He watched her body take on an opalescent glow and her smile grew wider.

"Now do you see why they sent you? I hate to break the bad news to you, champ, but you aren't taking me anywhere."

Before he could make a case to her, his response team arrived in full detail. Black Widow was spotted slinking her way down a fire escape; her only distraction being the one and only Iron Man. Stark raised his arsenal of an arm. She let out a hiss and shot a stream of ice at the machine. Iron Man dodged her assault and no one bothered to hide their surprise. At least now it was clear what Fury wanted with the girl.

Clint stepped forward. He had to contain this situation before it got out of hand. "We aren't asking for trouble. We just want to talk."

"Talk?" she seethed, glaring at Iron Man and his armory. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and another layer of frost had begun to build up over her fingertips.

"Yes, Miss Gallagher, talk," Natasha intervened, weaving her way through the fire escape and landing lithely on the ground. "Our boss has taken a particular interest in your talents. He would like to speak to you in person if you will allow it."

"I am declined to accept your offer, Natalia. I work for no man, much less a fool like Nick Fury."

He watched as Natasha shifted uncomfortably. Shaking her head, Noel suddenly crossed her arms over chest and closed her eyes.

Then she fell and Clint dove forward to break her fall. He placed her on the ground and both he and his team were anxious to step very quickly away. All of them had weapons facing or, in Iron Man's case, locked on to the limp form before them.

"What the hell was that?" Tony Stark broke the silence first.

"Our new recruit?" Tasha guessed, curiously.

Clint shook his head adamantly. "No. This is not the same girl that I have been tailing all week. She was nothing like this an hour ago."

"Maybe it is Fury's problem and not mine," Stark spoke up, rather unhelpfully. "I vote we pawn her off on someone else and go out for pizza.

Clint nodded in assent as he knelt beside her and pulled out a syringe with enough sedative to take down a Clydesdale. He deftly removed the cap and slid the needle into the girl's neck, pressing the plunger ever so slightly. He didn't think that she was a threat in her current state but he was not about to take any chances.

Before the drugs knocked her out, he could have sworn that she smiled.


	3. I Think I've Forgotten

I'm ridiculously pleased with how this chapter came out! I love writing from this character's point of view! I'll try to update more often!

Reviews are always appreciated, loved even! So let me know what you think! (:

-kim

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Chapter 2: I Think I've Forgotten

Myth leaned against the seat she was handcuffed to; surveying her surroundings much like the way a wolf examines its prey. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face, distorting her normally plain but pretty features into a Cheshire cat grin. Being caught was not an issue for her. No, it was like play. What silly little game had Nick Fury wrapped her in now? Oh what delightful fun this would be! She loved games.

As if he had read her thoughts, the door opened and the man of the hour stepped inside. He was followed by two of his goons. She recognized one of them from the alleyway; he was the man who had been following her. He briefly made eye contact with her before averting her gaze as fast as he had made it. If it was possible, Myth would have smirk would have tripled in size when she saw this. So that was the famous Hawkeye; the man that she had spent years hiding from? The director cleared his throat, drawing Myth's attention to his other goon. An irrepressible blush crept up into her cheeks and her smile turned into a scowl as she cursed her human counterpart. Of course Noel would find the pretty boy attractive.

"Miss Gallagher," Fury began.

Myth let out a harsh laugh. "Please, call me Myth. After all, you and I both know that Gallagher is not my name."

Fury scowled when she said this and nodded his head. "You know who you are then?"

"With great certainty, I can recall it very vividly."

He nodded before turning to his men. "Both of you get out of here now."

The goons eyed each other warily but did as their commander wished. He turned to her and she offered him a sinister stare. So he had no intentions of informing his team as to who she was? Interesting…

"Fascinating," she breathed as he sat at the table before them. "You ask him to follow me but you don't tell him who I am."

"He'll know in his own time."

"Well he needs to synch his watch to mine."

"Do you know why you are here?"

She chewed on her lower lip and smiled. "I can take a pretty good guess."

Nick Fury's eyes darkened.

"You won't kill me," she whispered. "It goes against everything you believe in. I can be as nasty and mean as I like, and you still won't lay a hand on me."

"You really want to test that theory?"

She laughed, this was just too easy. "It's because of Noel."

"You need to let her go."

Myth's gaze was now filled with perplexity. "Let her go? Director Fury, everything I have ever done has been for Noel. Why would I let her go?"

"Because she is innocent," he replied, piercing her with a stare that gave Myth the impression that he wasn't trying to reach out to her but to her other half.

"Innocence does not appeal to my better judgment. Besides, without me, she wouldn't be innocent. Heaven knows what she would be like without me."

"You would be nothing without her."

"Precisely, and what exactly would I gain by letting her go? I could retire my gifts and talents to be submerged into Noel's deepest darkest thoughts. I could spend a life of silence all for what? She is happy with the life I have earned for her. That little bakery of hers wouldn't have been a reality if I hadn't done all of the heavy work for it. What great reward would I get if I released her?"

"She could reach her full potential," Nick answered, causing Myth to grimace.

"You seem to be under the misapprehension that I care about her. She is nothing but a shell to me."

"You both went through the same torture together."

Myth's eyes widened and before she could stop it, she was remembering.

_"Daddy," a small child pleaded. "Don't do it! It hurts me!"_

_The man before her offered her no comforting words or actions. He simply continued to strap the wriggling child to the chair. He wore a lab coat and thick framed glasses. The little girl's name was Noel and he had been doing this to her for the last six months. As he tightened the straps she eyed his tray in horror. There were two large syringes filled with whatever vile concoction he had invented. He had wires that he would soon attach to her body that would jolt her with electricity. She was not his child. She was his lab rat._

_"Okay, let's begin," he announced to no one in particular._

_Noel's eyes widened as as they did, Myth woke for the first time._

_"NO!" she screeched, tearing away from her bonds with the strength that no three year old should posses."LEAVE US ALONE!"_

_The man dropped his syringe in surprise. He had done it! He had created a superhuman child! This was it, his whole life's work completed! Myth's chest began to rise and fall rapidly. That man was evil. He had hurt Noel. She would stop him. As he reached out to take her hand she leapt into his arms, her right hand ablaze. He screamed loudly as the fire burnt his coat, he tried to shake her off of him but found it was unsuccessful._

_Myth would end this tonight._

She narrowed her eyes and turned her attention back to Director Fury. "What happened to us was none of your business."

"You're absolutely correct but what you're doing now is. It's wrong to put Noel through all of this." Fury began peering at her over a file.

"I'm saving her! If she ever remembered…"

"She would heal. She deserves a real life with her actual father. I can give her that."

Myth hissed. "I _am_ her! I _am_ her life!"

"You were her captor's experiment. If he had continued to run those tests on her you would have complete control of her. You woke in time to stop that from happening. You have the chance to make the right choice here and let her powers grow without you."

Myth closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sure you understand that I can't just let that happen."

"Then I can't let you go."

"And what about Agent Barton?" she murmured.

If Noel ever knew about him she would surely try to cast her out. Myth had to work to keep the doubt in her vessel's heart. The less she trusted them the easier she would be to control. She just had to make sure that _he_ didn't know the truth. If he ever knew who Noel was then he would surely fight to bring Myth to an end.

"I'll inform him of his role in all of this in due time."

As Nick Fury rose to leave, Myth let out a sigh. Oh what silly little game had she been caught up in?


	4. Lead a Horse to Water

Hello everyone! Sorry this took so long to post! It's tough to find time to write these days! This chapter isn't much, just a transition into the next chapter where I begin to explain everything! My little sister is going to be my proof reader from here on out! Hopefully she can get me to write more often! (:

Reviews are always appreciated, loved even! So drop a line! (o:

-kim

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Chapter 3: Lead a Horse to Water

Noel shook her head in complete and utter disbelief. How had she gone from a completely normal day to being held in a high security government facility? Had she been drugged? That seemed to be the only logical explanation… She must have been drugged and was now high as a kite! Yep, that was it. Unless she was dreaming… maybe that was the problem. She was asleep! Of course! She had obviously hit her head or something and was now dreaming that she had spent the last forty-eight hours locked up in a government facility. She gaped wide eyed at the man sitting in front of her. She recognized him from before she was taken; he was the guy she had walked into on her way home.

The man from the alleyway gave her a confused look. "Why are you pinching your arm?"

"I'm waking up," she announced, shutting her eyes tightly. "It's been real, it's been fun, let's do this again sometime!"

Her heart sunk when her eyes opened to the same scene. So maybe she was on drugs after all…

The room she was in reminded her of a hotel room. The walls were a soft beige color and her dresser and end table were both modest and cheaply made. All that she had for bedding was a twin size bed with beige sheets. With a lump in her throat, Noel realized that the room had no windows; reminding her of her imprisonment.

"You aren't asleep," he stated, folding his arms over his chest. "I already told you, you are being held at SHIELD headquarters for your own protection."

"And I've already told you that you are bat-shit crazy!" Noel hissed, rubbing her temples. The man before tensed a little.

"You don't have a headache do you?"

She looked at him confused. "Um… not a terrible one, I've had way worse. Look, is this some sort of bad trip or something?"

"You aren't a drug user so no."

Noel shook her head again, trying to dislodge her obviously tapped out brain. This was just not cool! All she wanted was to go home to her nice little apartment and her cat. Suddenly it dawned on her, the poor thing needed to eat! She let out a small gasp before leaping from the bed that she woke from and racing for the door. Her captor was faster than her though and grabbed her by the forearm.

"Let me go!"

"I'm sorry, miss, I can't do that."

"But I have a pet that needs to eat!" The man grew visibly uncomfortable. "If you won't let me go then at least make sure that my cat is fed."

"Your cat has already been taken care of."

She sighed with relief before the sentence actually registered in her mind. "What do you mean?"

"I placed your cat in a no-kill shelter upon your detainment."

"YOU WHAT?" she bellowed.

"You heard me," the man grumbled.

"Look…" she paused when she realized that she had no idea who the guy even was. "Whoever you are, I just want to go home! I have a business to run!"

"No, you don't. Your friend has taken over the business since she heard of your tragic passing," he confessed without any sign of shame in his tone.

"MY WHAT?" she shrieked. "Oh my God, you are psychotic!"

She raced for the door and began pounding on it frantically. He reached over and without any sign of strain plucked her from the ground and placed her back on the bed. She was about to hit him when she stopped. She was so obviously and incredibly outmatched here. With a soft sigh she pulled her knees up to her chest, turning herself into a tiny ball, and facing the wall so that she wouldn't have to look at her captor.

Had these people found out about her? No, they couldn't have… She never told anyone about what she could do. Granted, what she could do wasn't all that special. She was strong, that much she knew. Her and her adoptive family figured that out when she had sent Brent Barnes to the hospital after he had accused her of having cooties when she was in second grade. She had exceptional reflexes and her hands could either chill or heat up a small room but that didn't make her some incredible superhero, it just made her different. There was always a chance that this guy was telling the truth and that she really was in danger but she couldn't imagine who or what could possibly want to hurt her. The man behind her cleared his throat.

"I know you must have a lot of questions…"

She shook her head. "I just want to go home, sir."

"I can't do that," he said with a hint of sympathy in his voice. "And my name is Agent Clint Barton."

Noel wasn't sure why, but her stomach rolled with this news. For a brief moment, she felt fear and a tinge of hatred, which was very abnormal for her. She tried to ignore this newfound distaste as she rolled over and peered at him. She found that looking at him only made it worse. She wanted to do more than just hit him. She wanted to beat the shit out of the guy. She wanted to maim him past the point of recognition. She wanted to…

A knock on the door pulled her away from her wild imaginings. Agent Barton let out a grunt of acknowledgement and the door opened to reveal another man, who was carrying a tray of food. Noel found herself blushing furiously as she sat up on the edge of the bed. This guy was, in her opinion, drop dead gorgeous. Yes, she was very aware of the fact that she was in no position to be checking men out but she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. He was in ridiculously good shape and wore a plaid shirt that he had tucked into his khakis. Okay, so he was dressed like an old man, or a porn version of a tech guy, but who was she to judge?

"Hi. I just thought I would bring some food up. Has she eaten anything yet?" Before Noel could even think about escaping, the door shut behind him.

"Noel, this is Captain Steve Rogers," Barton said, plainly.

"I know who he is…" she mumbled, disdainfully. "I know who you are too… You guys saved Manhattan last year from that alien attack... And no thank you, I'm not hungry." Her stomach announced otherwise as it churned none too quietly. Noel narrowed her eyes and turned away from both pairs of eyes, facing the wall yet again.

"If you know who we are, miss, then you should know that we are not going to hurt you," Captain Rogers urged. Noel heard the sound of the tray being placed on the bedside table.

She frowned, growing annoyed with all of the testosterone in her room. "I don't know or care what you people want from me. I just want to go home!"

Agent Barton rubbed his face, now obviously irritated. Rogers, however, knelt down in front of her so that their faces were level. At first he said nothing, he just let her sit and scowl at him. Finally after a moment he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Once again, her face began to burn.

"I can't promise that. But I can promise you some answers."

"Do you have them?"

"No, but I know who does. How about you have a little to eat and I'll bring you to them."

Clint suddenly shook his head. "She's not allowed to leave this room. In case you've forgotten, Cap, Fury assigned_ me _to this case."

"And what a bang up job you are doing, there," Steve huffed before turning towards her again. "You've been in this room for two days and have had nothing to eat or drink. Starving yourself won't do you any good."

She sniffed a little rudely. "Get me my answers and then I'll think about eating."

Captain Rogers nodded his head before rising and stepping out of the room. Noel closed her eyes and waited for his return. It wasn't very long before sleep took over and she fell blissfully into peace.


	5. Until the Panic's Out

Heeeellloooooo, it's another update! I'm having fun writing this story. The next chapter is going to be great! I can't wait to finish it up for everyone to read! Special thanks to ATeamFace105 for the encouragement! and to firewhisperer for being intrigued! and also to all the subscribers to this story! (:

Reviews are always appreciated, loved even! So drop a line if my story has entertained you at all! (o:

-kim

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Chapter 4: Until the Panic's Out

Noel was salivating as she stared at the tray of food placed on the table before her. She had already chugged two water bottles in the most unladylike fashion possible and was hoping for a third helping. She, however, did not touch the food. She refused to eat a single bite until she got her damn answers! She dared a glance at Agent Barton who was now drumming his fingers against the table, eyeing her impatiently. Noel had never been one for awkward silence and the tension in the air was explosive.

"So… how long have you been working here?" she ventured, trying to ignore the fact that her stomach was churning loudly in the presence of edible foodstuffs.

"Long enough," he stated before resumed tapping the table.

Noel frowned; this annoying fellow was certainly not making this whole conversation thing easy for her. "Do you have any idea why your boss assigned you to me?"

"Not even a clue."

"Oh…" She looked around the room nervously.

The walls were stainless steel and so was everything that was in it. The chairs were mighty uncomfortable and cold to touch, especially since she had just gotten out of a warm shower. She had to shower before she met the man in charge, which was the only request that she didn't argue with. The other demand was eating; she was supposed to eat before he arrived. Despite the fact that her stomach was burning with hunger, she refused to touch the food in front of her. She shivered slightly with the chill in the room. Maybe she could just warm the place up a little bit. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her right hand, the warm one. There was nothing special or incredible about this process. To her, it was just like flexing a muscle. Her arm began to tickle with the little bit of power that she let flow through it and then burned when she stopped. Suddenly, she missed her family. They had taught her everything she knew about controlling and accepting her gift.

_"Noel, darling, you are a special little girl," Mable urged as she ran her hands through the little girl's hair. "When Charles brought you to us, it was the happiest day of my life."_

_Noel peered up at the old woman with vibrant green eyes and tried to stop crying. Ever since they had adopted her they had treated her like one of their own and she was incredibly happy to live with them. But today she was angry. She was angry because they were telling her that she was different than everyone else. They called her a mutant. They confessed that they were mutants themselves and that it was nothing to be ashamed of but she was ashamed. She didn't want to be different!_

_Grant, her father, cleared his throat before striking a match to his cigarette. "This doesn't change how we feel about you, but you need to be careful, Noel."_

_"Grant, not now!" Mable scolded over her adopted child's head._

_"She's got to learn at some point, May," he insisted, pulling the girl away from the comforting arms of his wife and turning her to face him. "Now, listen to me. Mable and I are just like you so we understand but there are a lot of folks who don't understand. This isn't something you want to go sharing with other folks. You hear me?"_

_"So it's like a secret?" Noel murmured, trying to wrap her brain around the idea._

_"Yeah, a secret that's just between us. No one else has to know about it," he agreed with a smile before ruffling her hair. "Now, c'mon, we've got some work to do 'round here before Professor Charles comes to visit."_

_Just like that Noel was happy because she had a family to share secrets with._

When she looked up again Clint was halfway across the room, eyeing her cautiously, aiming his crossbow in her face. Noel blanched, he had no idea what she was! Maybe he was one of those people who hated mutants. Great, now she was trapped in a steel box with a trigger happy agent terrified that she'll set him on fire! She licked her lips and held her hands out.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to frighten you, I was just cold… I thought it would be alright if I just adjusted the temperature. I won't hurt you."

He didn't lower his weapon, just glared at her. "Don't move till he gets here."

Noel just nodded her head and leaned back into her chair, wishing more than anything that she could just curl up into a little ball and hide. Oh, what would Grant and Mable say if they were still alive? Their number one priority was secrecy and now she had blown her cover to not just the pissed off agent in front of her, but probably to this entire organization. Before she could help it, she burst into tears. She had violated everything her parents had done for her! She was a disgrace to them! They never should have taken her in like they did!

Suddenly, Clint lowered his weapon. "Quit crying, alright, I'm not going to shoot you, kid."

She was about to explain herself when there was a knock at the door. When it opened, a bald man in a wheelchair rolled his way inside. She let out a mild shriek and leapt from her chair. Out of instinct, Barton raised his crossbow again. Noel didn't even notice this as she lunged forward into the arms of an old family friend. Professor Charles Xavier returned the embrace comfortingly as Noel sobbed into his lap.

"Professor!" she wailed. "I didn't mean for them to find out!"

The old man chuckled as he pat her back, encouraging her to stop her sobbing. Director Fury walked into the room and Clint lowered his weapon upon his glare. They both watched as Noel's weeping began to subside.

"Hush, let me take a good look at you." She sat up. Charles held his hands up to her temples and seemed to concentrate on her eyes. He narrowed his eyes sternly after a moment. "You haven't been eating."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I was frightened."

"I understand that, but these people are here to help. They are friends of mine. You can trust them."

"I want to go home, Professor," she whimpered, her lower lip trembling and her eyes blistering with fresh tears.

"If you help these good people with what they need, I can promise you a place in my school," the professor encouraged. "But first I want you to eat something."

Noel nodded her head and stood up, holding the Charles's hand as she walked to the seat that she had previously occupied. Clint couldn't help but notice how much more relaxed and open she was with the professor; perhaps she would be better off staying with him at the school? She sat down and only let go of his hand when he placed it on the table. Instead of eating, however, she made a face.

"It's cold…" she murmured with a wrinkled nose. "I hate cold lunches…"

"Well then heat it up. You know how to."

Just like that, she tensed up and stared at Clint with fear in her eyes. Prior to this moment it had been like it was only her and Charles in the room. Now she was very aware of his presence and she seemed worried again. Now she had noticed Director Fury as well and the room watched as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"I don't think he likes it when I do that…" she whispered to her friend. "I don't think he likes us…"

"'Us' as in mutants?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. Noel nodded, eyeing Clint warily. "Nonsense, I've worked with Agent Barton in the past and he has been more than accommodating to our kind."

"He pointed a weapon at me," she stated, pointing an accusing finger at Clint's bow.

"Well you had probably startled him, that's all. Now heat up your meal, we have a lot to talk about."

She nodded her head before eyeing Clint one last time watching his bow for any signs of movement. With a slight nod of her head she held her hand over her plate, holding it an inch or so above her food. They watched as she let out a bored sigh as her hand began to glow a little brighter, warming her steak and potatoes. Professor Charles nodded his head at her when she had finished. Without any more instruction, she dove into the plate of food, shoveling it down greedily. It wasn't very long at all before she had finished the plate, smacking her lips and smiling at the professor.

"How is everyone at the school?" she asked, with genuine care in her eyes.

"They are good. Logan sends his best regards to you."

"He was always my favorite," she confessed with a wide grin.

Director Fury cleared his throat and was met with a cold glare. Having found a friend filled her with confidence and had brought her from a frightened girl to a pissed off bitch. She turned to her instructor with a snobbish attitude in her movements.

"I don't want to talk to him," she complained. "Can't you just take me to the school?"

"I'm sorry, my child, I can't do that. I think you should listen to him, he has a lot to say to you."

Her eyes grew sad but she nodded her head in agreement. Whether she liked it or not, this was the situation she was in and she had to make the best of it. If the professor thought she was safe here, then she would just have to trust him.


	6. Every Story Has A Begining

I hope this chapter is just as much fun for you guys to read as it was for me to write! I'm going to start including more characters in these next few chapters!

Reviews are always appreciated, loved even! So drop a line if my story has entertained you at all! (o:

-kim

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Chapter 5: Every Story has a Beginning

"Noel," the Director began after a brief introduction. "Do you have any idea who you are?"

Noel narrowed her eyes. "Of course I do! My name is Noel Brianne Gallagher. My biological father was the renowned scientist, Dr. Finch Gallagher, who died in a house fire. I survived to be given to Charles Xavier who in turn gave me to my adopted parents Grant and Mable Swanson."

"Close, but not exactly," Fury replied, pulling out files and tablets from a briefcase and placing them in front of her. "Your name is correct. But the man you knew as your father was not your father but your grandfather."

Her eyes narrowed but she refrained from arguing for the Professor's sake. "If that's the truth what does any of this have to do with me now? Or do you often snatch people from their everyday lives because their genealogy doesn't check out?"

Fury let out a chuckle. "No, it's not something I usually do. Tell me, what do you remember of Finch?"

"Almost nothing, he always worked in his lab and I was just a little kid. Why?"

"We have reason to believe that you aren't a mutant."

Noel's eyes widened, frozen that way for what seemed to her like an immeasurable amount of time and thoughts. Not a mutant? Her whole life she had wanted to hear those words. Now that they had actually been spoken, she resented them and the human who said them. Not a mutant her ass; it was the only explanation! She felt her arms begin to tingle with both power and rage and her body ached with energy that she longed to release on everyone in this room but Professor Charles. The good professor placed a hand on her shoulder and she calmed a little.

She shook her head at Fury. "You _have_ to be mistaken, sir. I _am_ a mutant."

"You are not a mutant. You don't carry the X gene. You may not recall this, but Dr. Finch's work was to create a superhuman. He believed that exposing a young growing brain to his serum could create a human that the world has never seen before."

Noel bit her lip, not liking where this conversation was going. She tried to remember her father more than once but all that came up were blanks, even when she was a child. It was almost as if something inside of her didn't want her to remember him. Director Fury held a file out to her and she stared at it closely. There was a picture of a man, her father or her grandfather, she still wasn't sure. He had dark hair and thick framed glasses. He had a stern face with high cheekbones and a strong jaw. Next to that picture was one of a young woman. Noel smiled at her beauty but her heart sank when she realized how much she looked like the woman in the photo.

"If any of this is true, what happened to my mother?"

Fury lowered his eyes. "Finch was a madman."

"So she's dead," Noel stated calmly. "What about my biological father?"

"He should be easy enough to find."

"I don't care to meet him. Don't need to." She sighed before handing the file back to Fury.

She was surprised when she felt bile rising up at the thought of her biological father. What reason could she possibly have for hating this man so much? Would it really be so terrible to meet him? With a sinking feeling she thought of the people who she thought of as her family… What would the professor think of her now? She wasn't a mutant so he didn't need to waste any more time on her. She wasn't one of them so, logically, she didn't deserve his kindness. She cringed as she thought of Logan, or Wolverine as some called him. He was like a brother to her, bonded together by the simple truth that they were mutants. Now that she couldn't call herself that, she didn't know what to do.

"There's more," Fury said, pulling her from her musings of self pity.

"Of course there is," she grumbled disdainfully.

"This was taken in a club parking lot outside of New York City."

He then pulled out a tablet with a security video on the screen, holding it out for her to watch. She accepted his offering tentatively, unsure what terrible surprises awaited. She tapped the play button and stared at the screen, holding it up so that the translucent image could be seen by everyone. She watched a small frame step into the picture. It was obviously a woman. She wore black tights and a black hoodie that hid her face. Noel watched as the girl approached to gentlemen, who were both dressed in sweatshirts and jeans. They seemed to have a quiet deliberation before they handed her wads of cash, which she accepted quickly. The two men appeared to be asking for something back, probably drugs, when the woman attacked. Noel bit her lip as the woman's right hand burst into flames and her left began to emit a strange glow. She used her left hand to stab both men in the chest with icicles and then held her right hand over the bodies to melt the ice away. Throughout this process, her hood had fallen off and when she turned Noel had nearly fainted.

It was her.

The girl in the video was her; a warped and vile version of herself but her nonetheless.

In the video, she peered up at the security video and smiled a wicked smile.

"Turn this off!" Noel shrieked, dropping the expensive piece of equipment with a clatter and backing away from the table until she found the wall. "What is this? That's not me! I would never!"

Her heart began pounding wildly in her chest to the point where it hurt to breathe. She had killed them! With her own hands, her own gifts, she had taken two lives. The evidence was right there but she didn't remember any of it! She couldn't have done this! This was some sort of trick! It simply had to be.

"There is more footage exactly like this. Tell me, how did you find the money for your bakery?"

With a trembling voice she fumbled, "I thought my parents… After they died… The money was transferred to my account…"

Oh dear God, her bakery was built on blood money…

She stared at the professor with wild, horrified eyes. "_I didn't do this._"

"You're correct. Your body did this but you didn't," Fury explained.

She turned her mortified stare over to him. "W-what are you talking about?"

"When Finch had begun experimenting on you, he didn't realize that there would be complications. So while your body was developing it's abilities it was also developing another you. This other side of you goes by the name Myth."

She shook her head. "You are all crazy!"

"Are we? You say you didn't kill anyone but that video says otherwise."

She sucked in a deep breath, deliberating for a moment. She had to work this through logically or else she would drive herself insane. "So… what is this? Like split personality or something?"

"Not really, if Dr. Gallagher had continued to run his tests the part of you that had killed those men would have complete control over you. In fact, I'm willing to bet that _you_ wouldn't exist. It would just be her." Fury began packing his things away. "As you can see, Miss Gallagher, this other part of you is much stronger than you. This makes her and the body she happens to reside in a threat."

Noel paled. Would they kill her?

"But you, fortunately, are not a threat. In fact, if you agree to join my team we can help you gain control of Myth therefore eliminating you as a danger to society."

Noel suddenly felt something unexpected, pity. She felt sorry for this Myth or whatever she was called. If she took control of her body what would happen to Myth? Would she die? Would she be trapped in her head while Noel moved freely? That was far from fair.

Professor Xavier gave her a stern look. "That is none of your concern, Noel."

"But why not?" she demanded, feeling the need to stand up for a life that had no voice. "She has every right to live as I do! Why should I decide whether I stay or her?"

"Because right now, if she had the option, she would get rid of you."

Noel looked at Agent Barton with confusion and perplexity. Ever since Director Fury had started this discussion, she had forgotten he was even in the room. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"How do you know that?"

"Trust me. I've seen how Myth works. When I ran into you in the alley, you passed out and she woke up. You _don't_ want her in control of you."

Suddenly, a new thought dawned on Noel. "My headaches… When I first saw you I had one of them… Is she…?"

"She is part of what causes them," Fury answered.

She nodded her head in acknowledgment before returning her focus back to Clint. "Is that why you got nervous when I changed the room temperature?"

He didn't answer her, just folded his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair. Noel took this moment of silence to collect her thoughts. She was not a mutant, her father was really her grandfather who killed her mother and ran experiments on her; now to top it off she had an alter ego that liked to go around murdering people. God, this was ridiculously insane! This could not be happening to her. It shouldn't be happening, but it was. Her life had now taken a new turn and, for better or worse, Noel had to live with that.

"I don't want to kill Myth," she answered after a moment. "I'll stay here and work on my abilities but I don't want anything to happen to Myth. She may not have her own body but it is still a life and I refuse to take that from her."

Clint opened his mouth to argue with her but was stopped by Fury's hand on his arm.

"That's the closest we are going to get to a yes, Barton." Fury held his hand out to shake Noel's. "Welcome to the team, Miss Gallagher."


	7. All Those Fairytales are Full of Shit

Chapter 6: All Those Fairytales are Full of Shit

Noel curled up morosely inside her hideaway. Granted she was in the Avengers Mansion, formerly known as Stark Tower, and there was no such thing as hiding in such a place but she made a solid effort anyways. She had been working with SHIELD, more specifically the Avengers Initiative, for six months now and she was more than certain that she had never felt more out of place in all of her life! When she had stayed at Xavier's school as a child she never once felt like this. There she felt accepted, even loved. She had been surrounded by others who were her age and knew just what it felt like to be different. Now, for the first time that she could ever recall, she actually felt different. It didn't help that the entire team knew that she had a psycho alter ego that could just pop up out of nowhere and roast them alive.

She sighed as she repositioned herself in the little cubbyhole that she had found. It was really just a tiny balcony that overlooked Tony's lab. She had found it the first week she had been brought to the mansion and since that day that's where she went when she wanted to be left alone. It only worked because no one knew where the entrance was located. Tony knew but thankfully he feigned stupidity and gave her this safe haven. Noel let out a half-smile as she recalled that day.

_"How the frig did she get up there?" Agent Barton asked, bewilderment hidden by the fact that he was pissed._

_"It doesn't matter how I got here, I'm not coming down!" Noel barked from her newfound perch._

_"Stark," the obviously irritated agent seethed, "for the love of God, explain to me how to get up there and close whatever entryway she used."_

_Tony Stark finally looked up from his computer. He had done a pretty good job of ignoring the squabble until his name was called out. He looked at his coworker before looking up at the girl who had seemed to have nested in his lab. It didn't really bother him having her there so why should he bother spoiling her fun?_

_"Don't know where it is," he stated plainly, wanting to laugh at the way Hawk's eyes practically bugged out._

_Noel's eyes widened in gratitude and Tony offered her a friendly wink._

From that day forward Stark insisted on calling her Tweety Bird or Tweets for short. They never really spoke much but that was fine with Noel. He would acknowledge her presence, start working, explain what he was working on and then usually make small talk. She knew that she gave him the creeps but she appreciated his charade. There were times where he reminded her of Logan and while that fact should have comforted her, it only made her feel that much worse. She missed what she had before. She missed the bakery and all her her human friends and when she didn't miss them she missed the school.

"Tweets," Tony called out, interrupting her sulking. He looked up at her and began laughing.

"What's so funny?" she grumbled, knowing full well that Tony's laugh meant nothing good.

"If you only knew…" Tony chuckled. "Hawk's on his way. I'd get down if I were you."

"He's just jealous because I got the better lookout."

"It doesn't help that you bailed on him this morning," Tony reminded the already annoyed girl.

She grimaced. "He is such a stiff!" With a sigh she leapt from her sanctuary and landed with a graceful thud. "You didn't see me?"

"Nope, but I think you might be in the kitchen."

Noel smiled a little. "Thanks Stark. I'll probably come by tomorrow."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

o-o

Clint was still trying to make sense of what he had been told. Perhaps the Director had been compromised? That would be easier than dealing with the file in his hand. Yes, Fury and Tasha must have gotten together and decided to play a prank on him. Why? Because he hated the girl this file was about. She was stubborn, uncooperative and childish. Ever since she had joined the team, she showed no desire to change or even prove her worth. All she ever did was either ogle Rogers or sulk in Stark's lab. She was a miserable thing and he didn't want even imagine that the claims Fury had made were true.

"Um, sir," he began without any conviction, "if this is a joke, it isn't funny."

The man before him just rolled his eye and pointed to the packet in his hand. "Does it look like a joke?"

"I'm hoping it is…" Clint stated without any humor.

Fury scoffed, "I have no idea why you're so surprised. It was bound to happen at some point."

"What are the odds that it would be _me_, sir?"

"A little higher than someone else's obviously." Fury rose and left the room.

This left Clint with that damned file. He let out a heavy sigh and ran his hand over his face. This had to be one of the top five worst moments of his life. Maybe top three. He sat down in a chair only to stand up again a moment later. Should he sit down before he confirmed his Director's accusations? Should he bring it up with her? With a heavy heart he slammed the envelope onto the table and ripped the papers out from it. No going back now…

"Holy shit," he breathed as he read the first three lines over and over again.

**Noel Brianne Gallagher**

**Mother: Brianna Lynn Gallagher (deceased)**

**Father: Clinton Francis Barton**

o-o

Noel made her way to the workout room where she could hear the telltale sounds of Steve Rogers hammering away on a punching bag. Ever since she had arrived in the mansion she found a newfound appreciation for working out. It was almost like prison, she surmised; she ate, watched TV, slept for a few hours, worked out, ate, sometimes trained with Barton, sat around Stark's lab, worked out and slept. There was nothing exciting about staying at the mansion, no real friendships to be made. She wasn't entirely sure why she was bothering to stick around at all. There was also the problem of Myth. She had been trying as hard as she could to reach out, or in she supposed, to the being inside of her but all to no avail. If Noel hadn't seen the footage she would have thought Director Fury to be a lunatic and ran as fast as she could.

She wasn't sure why she was so pissed off today. It wasn't her usual style to be all doom and gloom but she just wanted out. She wasn't so sure what she had signed up for and, as of late, everyone was pressuring her about the Myth situation. It was beyond frustrating. If they didn't like her they could just say so and let her leave. She signed and turned on the treadmill, starting off at a steady jog to work up her heart. She watched as Steve stopped punching the bag and turned to look at her. Her heart went haywire as he smiled and approached her machine.

If she ever had a friend in this building it would be Steve. He was the only one who was really nice to her and didn't treat her like a ticking time bomb. From the first day she met him at SHIELD headquarters he was always so kind to her. He treated her with respect and like the lady that she was. He often sat with her in the kitchen and told her stories about what it was like for him to live over seventy years ago. He would often ask her questions about this millennia and she would try to answer only to realize that she couldn't even begin to explain what she had just adapted to. You try explaining what the internet is to someone!

"Barton's looking for you. He's got something you might want to hear," he said, pulling her away from her musings.

She rolled her eyes. "He's probably just going to bitch at me for not showing up this morning."

"No, I can honestly say that you not adhering to your training exercises is the _last_ thing on his mind now," the man mused. "You might want to find him."

"Blah," she huffed, "don't feel like it."

He reached over and turned the treadmill down so that she could stop and look at him. He watched her face and she forced a smile onto her lips to hide the fact that was really struggling. She didn't want to be some whiney girl; she wanted to get out of here. She would miss Steve but right now she missed her real home with the mutants. But she couldn't even go back to them. She had nowhere else to go but here… She hated to think it, but this was her home. She hated this place.

"You alright?" he asked, cupping her face in his large hand.

She blushed wildly. Oh dear God, why did his touch have that effect on her? Her face began to light up with a blush that she knew could be seen a mile away. He was too close for comfort. She had to get out. Now.

"I'm fine," she murmured before pulling away from his touch and hoping off the machine.

"Noel," he called out to her as she fled the room as fast as she could.

She wouldn't turn around because that's what she wanted. Steve was great but she couldn't allow herself to get close to him with Myth inside of her. There was another life inside of her and she could sometimes feel it now. If she was around Agent Barton she felt it the most. One thing she knew about Myth was that she _really_ didn't like this guy. In fact, Noel was pretty sure that she hated his guts! Her arms began to tingle with the pressure her thoughts were causing. She needed to let out some steam and fast! She ran as fast as she could through the corridors and into Natasha's dance studio.

It didn't help as she stared at herself in all the mirrors; hundreds of Noel's stared back at her in horror as she panted. What was wrong with her today? She had never acted like this in her entire life before! She was frightened with this change in her normal demeanor. She struggled to catch her breath as she stared at the reflections of herself. What if there was more than her and Myth inside of her? The girl in the mirrors was no longer a person anymore. She was a freak. Noel felt like she was a monster. With a wild scream she let whatever energy she had built up in her left hand and shot it at one of the mirrors, watching with a little relief as her image shattered and fell to the floor. She did it again, screeching like the caged animal that she was. She had to run. She needed to get out!

"NOEL!" a voice hollered behind her, daring to enter the studio.

With a furious scowl she glared at the doors behind her and they shut, locking the perpetrator out. It was just like flexing a goddamned muscle to her. It was too easy… She shrieked again as she blasted through several mirrors at once. They trapped her here and now look what she had become! She used to have this under control before they showed up and ruined it! Now all she wanted was to be set free! The remaining reflections were crying and screaming as Noel blasted through them, watching their faces; their sad, pathetic, trapped faces.

Then she stopped. They were gone. She was the only one left in the room. She walked slowly around the room, staring at the broken glass not feeling the shards that were slicing her feet open. She felt drained of all life as she sunk to the ground and covered her face in her still trembling hands. She wanted to get out. She just wanted to go home. Wouldn't anyone just take her home?

She heard the door open and based on the mechanical sound that followed it she figured that she had scared them into sending Iron Man to stop her. She had frightened these people into sending a man in a metal suit after her. She would have spoken but all she could do was hide her face in shame and disgust. She was a monster.

"Myth, let her go," Iron Man demanded.

She stiffened. They thought she was Myth. Was she that much of a fiend that they thought her to be murderous wretch? It was too much for her to bear as she began sobbing.

"Noel?" Stark's voice called out tentatively from the suit.

She nodded her head slowly, not wanting to speak at all. She had lost that right. She heard him call out to the others and they all filed in, surrounding her as she wept. She hated every single one of them at this moment and she didn't understand why. They had all tried to be kind to her but she couldn't help but despise them for what they had done to her.

"Noel," another voice called out and her stomach rolled in disgust. Clint Barton.

_He knows._

The strange thought came out of nowhere and took her by surprise. What the hell was wrong with her today? What could he possibly know? Why would she even think something like that? Unless it hadn't been her; what if it had been Myth? Noel felt two hands lift her up and enfold her into the owner's chest. The disgust she had felt turned into rage and she tried to pull away. He had no right to hold her or comfort her!

"Stay away from me," she breathed, shoving him away. Barton stared at her, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to assess the situation.

"Someone needs to call Fury," he ordered. "He needs to get back here now."

He eyed her as she hid behind Stark in his iron suit, her forehead resting against the cool metal breastplate and crying softly. His own child and he couldn't even comfort her. He felt anger in himself. He had failed her. It wasn't entirely his fault because he never even knew she had existed but he still felt the blame was his to bear. He couldn't change the past, he knew, but he could help her now. He would do what she couldn't do herself. He would stop Myth any way possible.

From somewhere inside Noel, Myth was very pleased. She had more control over her host than she had thought. Everything was going according to plan…

* * *

(Takes a giant breath) HOLY CRAP! That took forever to write! So I put a whole bunch of stuff in this chapter so let me know what you think! The next chapter is going to have a surprise visit from one of my favorite Avengers!

Has my story entertained you? Let me know! I want to hear from you guys! Did you not like the whole Hawkeye being the baby-daddy idea? Was this chapter just a load of junk? I'm curious to know what you all think! The best way to tell me is by pushing that little review button and leaving a line or two on the story.

thanks a bunch, that's all for now, folks! (:

-kimmy


	8. Hostile Situation

Okay, before you read this very overdue chapter I would like to say something. **THANK YOU!** Everyone who has reviewed and subscribed and favorited and messaged me and this story, you rocked my effing world! thankyouthankyouthankyou! No lie, you all are incredibly fantastic and you all deserve kudos!

That being said this is the next chapter. I'll try to have the next one posted this week but I can't promise anything because today was my only day off and this week is a crazy hectic work schedule! (( Don't hate me, hate my employer! :p ))

Let me know what you think about this chapter or the entire story as a whole! If you have any cool ideas you want me to throw in there I can certianly think about them so leave me a review with your ideas! And once again, thanks for the support!

-kimm

* * *

Chapter 7: Hostile Situation

She lay in her bed, trying to calm herself. She had gone crazy for a good five minutes. She had not only ruined Natasha's dance studio but also destroyed any ounce of trust this team had for her. Now she was on temporary lockdown until they could figure out what to do with her. She sighed and rolled over. There was no point in just lying around at this juncture. Maybe she could just hide out in her nest for a little while.

She stood up, wincing at the sharp pain in her bandaged feet. Wow, what a brilliant plan to go blasting mirrors with bare feet! She rolled her eyes and crept out of her door with a frown. So much for lockdown, she didn't even have a guard at the door. She skulked through the halls, waiting to find something to entertain herself at least enough to pull her out of her funk. She found herself walking past the conference room where her fate was being decided. She let out a sigh and touched the wall.

"It wasn't her back there! I don't think Noel has complete control over what she is doing."

Noel stopped short. How could she hear them? Those walls were soundproof. She nervously held her hand against the wall again. Now she could do more than hear she could see them in the room. This was something new or at least something she had never bothered to use before. It was like she was sitting in the center of the table and watching them fight over her. It was odd and she knew that she should stop but she couldn't help but stay.

Tony spoke next. "If she's not in control then I'm not sure how okay I am having her here."

Noel bit her lip. That hurt her feelings more than she thought it would; so much for having her nest. Tony's words were met with a glare from Steve, who seemed to be valiantly attempting to save her appearance.

"Well what do you suggest, lover boy?"

Steve blushed uncontrollably. "Maybe she just needs someone to talk to."

"I talk to her all frigging day long!" Stark argued.

"Yeah, that's the problem. You don't listen to her or ask her what she needs!" Steve countered. "Look, if we just try a little harder…"

Fury interrupted all of them. "Banner already has a solution and a good one."

All eyes turned to Bruce Banner who adjusted his glasses nervously. Banner was one person who Noel wasn't entirely sure how to read. He was never rude to her but he wasn't exactly polite. He mostly went about his business, leaving Noel to busy her time with other people and things. Maybe she should have hung around him more. If anyone knew what it was like to transform into something completely different he would. She watched as he held a vial in his hand. She blanched. Medical things like that always made her nervous for some odd reason.

"When I first found out about… _the other guy_, I developed this."

"What is it?" both Barton and Rogers demanded at the same time.

Noel scoffed, what the hell did Barton care about what happened to her? Banner sighed and began passing a sheaf of papers around the room. Noel was surprised when Tony's hand went right through her to pass the stack to Natasha. She really never knew she could do this…

"It's a cure, maybe," Banner began, "I developed it not long after my incident. Unfortunately it does nothing for gamma radiation. It could help Noel weaken Myth if not destroy her all together…"

"No!" Noel and Steve barked simultaneously. Steve continued, "She's made it clear that she doesn't want that."

"And I've made it clear that I'd like to sleep at night!" Tony grumbled. "I vote we stick it to her!"

"What do you think, Agent Barton?" the cold, calculating voice of Black Widow's asked as she turned to face the agent that was staring Banner down.

"You sure this stuff works?" he asked.

Noel frowned. There was something very different about Barton today. He was actually showing concern for her which was totally out of character for him. Last time she checked, he totally hated her guts. Why would he care what she did?

_He knows._

That strange thought pulsated through the room but only Noel heard it. What the hell could he possibly know? What did he know that Noel didn't? She watched the chagrined look that masked his face. He seemed so worried now, like he had to make a life or death decision.

"I'm pretty sure it does…"

"She'll do it."

Noel snarled and almost entered the room in a murderous rage. He had no right in the entire world to make that decision! She wouldn't let them hurt Myth. That was the one thing she had demanded when they forced her here. Her hand squeezed the door handle tightly, threatening to break it off.

"Clint, are you sure?" Natasha asked, quirking an eye at him. "She's not incredibly fond of you. I don't think she would appreciate you making these types of decisions for her."

"I'm her father, Tasha. If she can't make the choice on her own to eliminate a threat then I'm making it for her."

Noel felt every inch of her body go numb before she released the door handle, breaking her connection to the room and any secrets they had left to spill. There should have been so many other thoughts going through her mind at the time but all she could think was how she had managed to get a box seat to the meeting going on a few feet in front of her. That was something she had never imagined she would be able to do. She wasn't even entirely sure if she was the one doing it.

_There are a lot of things I can show you._

Noel gasped and searched the hall for any occupants. She was alone.

_Run._

"Run?" Noel whispered.

Then she remembered that they were going to hurt Myth. No, she would not allow that. If she had a life to live then it was only fair that Myth had that same opportunity. She scrambled away from the conference room, racing back the way she came to her quarters. She grabbed a duffel bag and began throwing provisions inside, mostly clothes and some snacks. She made sure to grab a hooded sweatshirt to hide her face. She had learned that SHIELD used the best technology and would be able to track her down using cameras and security footage. She had to lay really low and, if she had to go out into the general public, be almost invisible. She opened her door and checked both ways as if she were crossing the street. She closed her eyes and focused.

"Don't let JARVIS catch me…" she breathed.

Just like that she felt her mind stretch and felt a chill flow through her spine. She knew then that there was a lot that she had to learn about her gifts. She was stronger now than she ever knew she could be. She took a confident step out of her room. This was easier than she thought it should be but she went with the flow. She approached the stairwell with a gasp and then bolted down the stairs two at a time. The calm façade that she had painted gone in an instant as she ran faster than her legs had ever run before. Freedom was only moments away. She reached the main entrance of Stark Towers and sprinted out the door. She let out a huge gulp of air ignoring the pedestrians who grumbled as they had to walk past her.

She looked back up at the imposing building with a sigh of relief before she booked it. She kept her head low and her hood up so her face would be hidden pretty well until she got out of the city. She walked through the main streets without incident and quickly turned into an alley. It was dark by the time she made it to a less populated area. She smiled as she pulled a cell phone out of her pocket that she had nicked off of a passerby and dialed a familiar number.

It rang once.

It rang twice.

She was about to hang up when she heard, "Who the hell is this?"

"Logan!" she gasped, never remembering being happier to hear his voice.

"Noel?" he sounded utterly confused. "What the hell are you calling me this late for?"

She held a hand up to her chest. It felt amazing to talk to him again. If anyone could help her, he could. "I've escaped a hostile situation and I need a getaway bike."

She heard the sound of him leaping out of bed. "Where the hell are ya, kid, I'm on my way."

o-o

Steve glared at Clint as they walked to Noel's bedroom. He was trying to think ahead for a way to diffuse the obviously ugly confrontation that would ensue. Noel had asked for one thing and while he hadn't exactly agreed with what she had asked, he understood why she wanted it. They both stopped in front of her door and Clint raised a hand to knock but Steve stopped him.

"Give her the choice, please," he tried to reason.

He didn't want to see Noel suffer because his teammate made a bad decision. If Hawkeye made her do this, she would never forgive any of them. He didn't want her to hate him. He wanted her to be happy. If they went against her wishes, he couldn't see her ever being happy to be on the team.

"No," Barton huffed, eyeing Rogers in a way that said 'no way'. Then his face softened. "I don't remember her mother."

Steve looked at him with bewilderment. "Not at all?"

"Not at all, I didn't even know Noel existed," he said, leaning against the wall watching the door with anxious eyes. "I always thought I would be there if I had a kid. You know? I always thought that I would be there to teach them right from wrong or help them with homework and things like that…"

Steve just nodded unsure how to react to his comrade's confession.

"When I found out that she was mine… I don't know… It just didn't seem right that I wasn't there for her growing up."

"She was happy growing up. She speaks very fondly of her past," Rogers consoled. He tried once again to honor Noel's wishes. "Let her make the choice here, Barton."

The agent shook his head. "I _can't_, Rogers. You and I both know that she will choose Myth. If she's given the option she won't let us touch her. You saw what happened this afternoon and that was not Noel. Myth may not have had complete control over her back there but you can't tell me that she had nothing to do with it. Someone's got to stop her before she does take control. Noel won't make that decision."

Steve swallowed and nodded his head. "Is this really how you want to tell her that you're her father?"

Barton sighed and rested his head against the wall. "It's the only option I've got. Just do me a favor and make sure she doesn't hate me too much."

"I can't promise that," Steve replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Sure you can. She's got a little crush on you."

Steve blushed before he nodded to the still closed door. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

o-o

"It was obviously a mistake," Noel whispered into the darkness as she buried her head into her knees. "He is _not_ my father."

The chill of the fall air did nothing to reassure her as she mulled over a thought that she should have faced hours before. She could hear the muffled almost muted sounds of the city to the west and briefly wondered if they were coming to look for her. She wondered at this point if anyone would even want to find her. Logan promised he was on his way but until he showed up she had to assume she was on her own.

Clint Barton was her father? Nope. Negative. No way. Not happening. Just no. It was just too much of a coincidence. Even if he had worked as a marksman in a travelling circus, what were the odds the he would have met her mother, impregnated her and then wound up working for the same agency that would imprison the result? It just didn't make any ounce of sense! He needed to get his freaking facts checked!

The roar of a motorcycle echoed through the alley and she waited until it stopped to dare a peek at the rider. He stepped off of the bike and Noel couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. There he was, scruffy as ever; James "Logan" Howlett, her best friend in the whole entire world. No, he was more than that. He was her goddamn hero. The one person who she counted on to have her back until the day she croaked. Ever since day one at the academy she stuck to him like she had been super glued to his left shoe. For the longest time he tried to ignore her but after a while the two of them wound up having a fantastically famous friendship. She leapt from her spot against the building and barreled into his arms, smiling at the thud her body made when they collided.

"We've got to get out of here," he said gruffly as he gently tried to pry her off of his upper torso.

Noel wasn't having it. "I've missed you so much…"

"Right back at ya, now we've got to move and stat," he urged and she didn't argue with him there.

As they rode off into suburban New York Noel knew that her troubles were far from over but she felt much braver having her best friend beside her.


	9. Falling From Cloud Nine

Chapter 8: Falling From Cloud Nine

She smiled as she poured her cup of morning coffee to the music of pancakes frying in a pan. She had been staying with Logan in one of Xavier's safe houses for a couple of weeks now and she couldn't even think of a better way to spend her life. She was so incredibly happy. She began whistling as she flipped the pancakes and grabbing two plates from the cupboard. It was a small house, really only suitable for two people and the school never used it for emergencies. It was more like a vacation house than anything. To be frank, these past two weeks had been so delightfully uneventful. It was just the two of them sitting around talking about the past and finding various ways to make the time fly by. It was just the respite that she needed. She heard a thump and a groan from down the hall and laughed a full bellied laugh.

"Good morning, handsome!" she called out. "I'm making breakfast!"

A very haggard looking Logan stumbled into the kitchen and made his way to the table. She smiled at him and passed him a mug of black coffee. He twitched his eyebrow in lieu of a thank you. She giggled as he rubbed his face and eyes, trying to wipe away the last grips of sleep from his face. She turned away to plate the breakfast for two.

"Mornin'," he finally grumbled as she placed his plate in front of him.

She smiled as she sat across the table from him. "I've forgotten how much of a morning person you are."

"Bitch," he growled before shoveling a giant bite into his mouth.

"Douchebag," she countered, mirroring his movements. "What are the plans for today?"

He looked at her with his usual gruff demeanor. "Can I eat without being interrupted, please?"

She just smiled her usual sunny smile at him before shrugging her shoulders. Now this was what normal was like. They pair ate their breakfast in silence while Logan brooded his way into a more alert frame of mind. Noel wolfed down her breakfast in six gluttonous bites before she leaned back in her chair with her mug of coffee in hand. It was so easy for her to forget the last six months now. She honestly felt like if she stayed with Logan in this little cabin for the rest of her life she would be happy. What wasn't wonderful and perfect about this place? There were books galore, a television, basic utilities and most importantly, her best friend. Logan finished his meal and began to look around the kitchen. He rose and started peeking through the cupboards.

"We need more food." He turned to her and made a face. "To the grocery store?"

Noel shook her head adamantly. She wasn't stupid; leaving the safe house was akin to holding a neon target over her head that said "COME GET ME! I'M RIGHT HERE". Not a smart plan at all.

Logan narrowed his eyes at her. "But you love the grocery store…"

She forced a smile, the man knew her far too well. "I'm just not feeling it today, you go on without me."

He wasn't buying it. "What exactly are we hiding from anyways?"

She stiffened. Hiding sounded like such a belittling term for what she was doing. She wasn't hiding; she was saving someone's life! If she had to go underground for the time being then that's what she would do but she didn't want to think of it as hiding. She lifted her gaze to his and raised an eyebrow.

"We aren't hiding. I'm just not feeling well today."

He frowned and immediately placed a hand on her forehead to check her temperature. She sighed and instantly felt sorry for the guy. Ever since she could remember she was abnormally susceptible to disease. She had almost died from pneumonia twice and three times from the flu. Her body was strong in the sense that she didn't get sick often but when she did it was almost as if her body couldn't fight it off. She should have known that saying something as simple as 'not feeling well' would worry Logan. With a laugh she shoved his hand away from her head and shook her head.

"Not like _that_, dumbass, I meant to say that I just didn't feel like going out," she explained while her best friend gave her an unconvinced stare. After a moment he shrugged his shoulders and grabbed his helmet. "Where are you going?"

"To buy your stupid ass some food," he grumbled before slamming the front door open in his usual grump-ass manner.

"Love you too!" she hollered at the shut door and being thankful that things were back to normal.

o-o

Clint stared at Professor Xavier in the rearview mirror as he turned off of the exit. He wasn't entirely sure how this stupid plan was supposed to work. If he knew anything about Noel, he knew that she would bolt the moment she saw anyone coming anywhere near that house. What exactly was the professor going to do about that; wheel after her with his Jedi mind powers? He chuckled at the thought and the man behind him smiled.

"Wouldn't that be something?" he said whimsically.

Clint nearly crashed. He had completely forgotten that the mutant behind him could read his thoughts on a whim. Was that how he was going to deal with this Noel situation? Control her mind into Banners lab to be given the serum. That seemed like the easiest way to fix the problem. He frowned; Noel was really and truly going to hate him, SHIELD and everything they stood for after this. He was trying his damndest to keep an open mind about the whole situation but to be completely honest he was too used to this job. Myth was a threat and Noel had to see her as a threat before she could understand why they had to do this.

"Pull into this parking lot, please," Charles called out behind him.

Clint made a face as he did what was asked of him. "Sir, this is a grocery store." Was he going to try to win her over with canned food?

"No, I am not but there is something important that we need here."

They both watched as a loud motorcycle pulled into the parking lot beside them.

o-o

_Run._

Noel began to pace the length of the house nervously. Logan had been gone for over three hours. As socially handicapped as he was, there was no way it was really taking him three hours to work his way through the grocery store. Something was wrong. Something was really, horribly wrong. With shaky legs she crossed the room in three strides to check outside for the thousandth time. Nothing. It was killing her at this point. She knew nothing could have possibly _hurt_ Logan. That thought was beyond insane, it was ludicrous! He must have just gotten confused in the cereal aisle… yeah that was it. Nothing was going to come between her and the peace that she had found.

As if in answer to her prayers, she heard the telltale rumble of his bike and ran to the front door; masking her relief with a snarky smile as she burst out of the cabin. He was empty handed and taking his helmet off while she leaned against the doorframe.

"Did you get kicked out? I told you not to use the self checkout, it always makes you angry."

He didn't answer, just grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her inside. She was far too dumbfounded to argue with his brash behavior. What in the hell?

"Logan! Let me go!" she hollered once they had gotten inside.

He rounded on her instantly. "Who is Myth?"

Noel paled. She had been right after all, something was wrong. She shook her head slowly, holding her hands out in a meager defense. "Logan, _don't_."

She watched as his eye twitched and the vein in his forehead pulsated. Someone had told him. Who the hell told him? Her breath began to quicken and she took several steps backward while he took a few deep breaths. She had to get out as quickly and quietly as she could. It's not like she stood a chance of outrunning him, but instinct demanded that she run from this most hostile situation.

"DON'T!" he roared, moving with lightening speed and blocking the doorway. Her lower lip began to tremble and her vision began to blur as she backed her way against a wall. "Pack your shit, kid. I'm taking you back."

They stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of time. In that moment they both were fueled by the same sensation: fear. In this instant they were both terrified. Noel shattered the silence first.

"Logan," she pleaded, "for the love of God, please don't do this to me. You don't understand… Who told you?"

He opened his mouth to speak but another voice beat him to it. "I did."

There, waiting in the doorway, was her glorified Professor. With a ragged breath she held a hand over her chest as another person stepped behind him. She felt a familiar tightening in her chest and she could feel Myth inside of her, longing to be set free.

"_You_," she sneered, settling on a cold glare. "I should have known you were behind this."

Clint gave her a less than sympathetic look before he motioned for her to sit. She narrowed her eyes at him; she would sit in that seat when the Devil himself dragged her there! Before she could stop herself, however, she was walking towards the seat. She gaped at her former instructor in horror. Never once had he used his gifts on her.

"That's cheating," she grumbled childishly. Barton sighed and stood in front of her.

"You have two options, Noel. Either you come with us willingly or the Professor can arrange for you to follow us back on your buddy's bike. Your choice, though, no pressure."

"I won't let you just kill her!" she shrieked. "I know about the serum! I don't want it! I don't want you anywhere near me!" She felt her body begin to tremble and she looked to Logan. "_James_, help me…"

He looked down at her with a look of pity. "Believe it or not, kid, I am right now."

Clint pulled a chair in front of her and sat down, watching her for a moment. Noel knew that for the first few seconds he was trying to find the similarities between them. He focused on her lips and nose and hair before finally stopping on her eyes. They had the same eyes. She did not want to bring herself to remember the disturbing fact that he was her father. He let out a small smile.

"Look," he began, with a surprising amount of empathy in his voice, "I get that this whole thing seems a little scary but I need you to trust us here. You _don't_ want Myth to get stronger and from what the Professor's told me, she has. If there was another way out of this we'd be having an entirely different conversation but there isn't a way out."

She shook her head. "You don't get it. You don't see her like I do… You might think that everyone that does something bad is evil but I don't. She's not bad… I refuse to think that!"

Logan let out a snarl. "You're being stupid, Noel."

She sighed before lowering her head. "I'll go."

Barton nodded his head. "This is for the best, Noel."

"I'm not doing it because you guys want it. I simply don't have an option."

With that said, she felt Charles's hold on her vanish and with it her resolve. She had no choice but to go back. If Logan thought she was a danger to herself there was no hope to find solitude because he would do whatever it took to make sure she was safe. SHIELD was obviously relentless in their pursuits to stop Myth and the Professor was clearly not to be trusted. She had no choice but to throw her personal beliefs to the side and do what was demanded of her.

It felt as if a small part of what made her Noel was going to be annihilated with Myth and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

* * *

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this chapter. I love the begining scene between Logan and Noel though! (:

Let me know what you think! I'm particularly curious to see what everyone thinks about this chapter!

Until next time,

-kimm


	10. Help I'm Alive

Chapter 9: Help, I'm Alive

"I'm sorry," she whispered for the umpteenth time.

_I saved you._

The thought that reverberated through her skull only made her feel worse. She was unsure whether the fact that she could communicate with the other being inside of her was supposed to be comforting or not. Her opinion was that if she couldn't say her final goodbyes to Myth who could? She took a deep breath and hid further inside of her nest, only prolonging the inevitable. Any moment now someone would be heading out to find her and escort her to Banner's lab. She crossed her fingers and prayed that whoever they sent didn't think to check the nest.

"I understand that," she pleaded very softly. "And I am truly sorry, Myth… I don't have a choice here… I didn't want this for you."

_For us._

The statement confused her but she knew that Myth was incapable of communicating more than a few broken thoughts; pieces of ideas and requests that made little to no sense sometimes. Noel let out an angry huff and covered her face in her hands. This was just a bad situation and she just had to go with it.

_Fight for me._

"I can't!" Noel argued, slamming her hands on the metal balcony beneath her. "There are innocent people here who I will not hurt!"

_They aren't innocent. Murder._

"I know, Myth," she sighed in despair. "But if I hurt them I'd be just the same as them. Listen, I'm_ sorry_…"

The door to Stark's work station opened and he stepped inside, perusing the room before focusing intently on the nest. It was time and she was not ready. Maybe he wouldn't see her?

"Let's go," he called out in a no nonsense tone. "We're ready."

"I'm sorry," she breathed for the final time before she jumped down from her safety zone.

Banner's lab wasn't far from Tony's. The walk there was silent and incredibly awkward. Noel couldn't help but wish that this was just some crazy dream. Tony kept his eyes on her the entire time, waiting for some sign of revolt or defense. She said nothing and kept her head down the entire time. They approached the doors and he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"See you when you wake up, Tweets."

She knew he was making some attempt to comfort her but she snubbed the remark and pressed forward. The sliding doors opened and she wanted to be sick. The room looked like a hospital. There was a chair that reminded her of the dentist with IVs and monitors connected to it. On the left side of the room was Banner, who appeared to be setting up; to her right stood Agent Barton and Captain Rogers. Out of all them, Rogers looked the most apologetic. Someone was missing.

"Where's Logan?" she demanded with her chest tightening, making it suddenly hard to breath.

Barton led her to the chair and began to strap her feet in. "He'll be here when you wake up."

She didn't respond; just let them continue to strap her down and place the wires on her chest to measure her vitals. She was frightened now but did all she could not to show it. Banner wheeled something closer to the table and she whimpered when she saw the syringes on a tray. Barton buckled her arms down, the crooks of her arms facing out. He paused to squeeze her shoulder gently. A wave of nausea came over her as she began to feel disturbingly exposed. Another set of wheels approached her.

Banner smiled awkwardly. "Your friend, Logan, tells me you don't like needles."

With nervous eyes she shook her head. This couldn't possibly get worse, could it?

"I have a solution for that," he said, holding a mask up. "Just try to relax, Noel." He placed it over her face. "Now count to ten."

She did as he said and began to feel her arms go heavy and her eyes struggled to remain open. All she could think was that she was so weak and sorry. Try as she might, she couldn't fight sleep.

_SAVE ME!_

Without warning she lurched forward, knocking the mask off of her face. With a horrified scream she tried to break free of her bonds. She had to save her! Noel could feel Myth writhing inside of her and she struggled to keep control. She had never been conscious when Myth took over. Their fears and desires were blending together. Four strong arms held her thrashing form back. She needed to let Myth out. She owed her that.

"Noel, I need you to listen to me!" a voice shouted in her ear. "It's me, Steve! Just breathe! Relax and breathe!"

The gas mask was pressed against her face again. She tried to shake it off but someone was holding it there tightly. With each breath she took, she fell into a horrible dream.

o-o

_She was on an empty beach. The air was sultry and chilly; it clung to her skin like a soft blanket. It wasn't cold but it wasn't exactly warm either. She was happy here. Looking down by the water she saw a little girl building a sandcastle. The girl was about three or four years old with short violet colored hair. What a strange color for a child. She approached the youngster tentatively, smiling at the way the sand clung to the hem of the little one's black dress._

_"Shh…" the child enthused, worriedly. "They will find me here if you aren't quiet. In fact, I really wish you would go away."_

_Noel made a face. Not only was the kid a whacko but she was rude to boot! _

_The girl giggled happily. "I'm not rude you're the one bothering me."_

_"Now wait a second!" Noel scolded._

_The little girl was no longer paying attention to her though. No, now her lilac gaze was focused on the ocean as it began to pull back. Her strange yet gorgeous eyes were wide with dread. Her jaw went slack as the water rose several feet over their heads. Before it cascaded over them she let out a bloodcurdling screech._

_"NOT ME!"_

_Noel frantically tried to reach out and grab the little girl but it was too late. The water came down, suffocating her and dragging her away._

_In an instant the water calmed and when Noel opened her eyes she was in a concrete room. There was an exam table in the room and surrounding it were trays, monitors, IV stands and various other forms of equipment. She shook her head rapidly, praying to return to the water to save the little girl._

_"It's too late."_

_Noel turned only to be even more confused. She was staring back at herself… Well, somewhat herself. The girl before her was her exact replica but, well, purple. Just like the child at the beach she had dark plum colored hair and eyes that shifted between lilac and lavender colored. She held a finger to her lips._

_"Myth?"_

_The woman before her spoke softly. "Is this really how you imagine me? I like it…"_

_Noel filled the gap between the two of them and they embraced the other. "That was you on the beach?"_

_Myth nodded. "That was a part of me."_

_"What happened to her?"_

_"They erased her. You must keep quiet or the serum will find me here too."_

_A moment later her breath hitched and she stared at the door as it opened. Myth screamed as Noel's grandfather stepped inside, brandishing a knife. Noel froze in terror. What was happening here and why wasn't she waking up?_

_"HIDE!" Myth shrieked shoving Noel out of the way as Dr. Finch Gallagher proceeded to stab his creation._

_"STOP!" Noel begged helplessly._

_"Not much longer…" Myth murmured before she shuddered to death._

_Noel closed her eyes and began to weep uncontrollably. This could not be possible… These horrific things that she was seeing could not be truly happening to someone. No, this was simply not happening. A hand reached out and touched hers lacing the fingers together like patchwork. She didn't have to look up to know who it was._

_"It doesn't have to end like this."_

_"I can't stop it from happening," Noel sobbed._

_Myth nodded her head. "You can't but you can still save me…"_

_She felt her vision going dark. "How can I possibly save you?"_

_Myth smiled gently before whispering, "Just hold on to me and I can stay."_

o-o

Noel opened her eyes uncertainly, there was still a hand intertwined with hers and for a brief moment she believed that it was still Myth. She knew that it wasn't, this hand was far too large to be Myth's; it practically engulfed hers. Her gaze drifted to her arms where there were two cotton balls taped to them. Then she felt the pain.

The hand that held hers let go. "Hey, kid, you're gonna be fine." It had been Logan's.

Would she? Would she really be fine? Physically, she did not feel _fine_ at all. She was disoriented, confused and, again, in a whole new realm of agony. She was on fire, her insides were burning her alive. Someone had poured acid into an open wound and the liquid was smoldering her organs until she was certainly going to die from the throbbing torture alone.

Was she fine?

_Don't worry. I'm still here._

Yes, she was. Noel closed her eyes and waited. It would all be over soon.

* * *

Please don't hate my guts! I know it's short and I know I took forever but working three jobs sucks! I know that is no excuse so please forgive me!

Okay super angsty, kinda short chapter but one that needed to happen. I have gigantic plans for this story so please be patient and don't stop loving me if I don't post in a while!

Let me know what you think! Do you love it? Do you hate it? Did you think it was bleh? I know I haven't had the chance to answer a few questions but I will as soon as I know the answers! ( And to my last reviewers thank you much! :D )

Until next time!

-kimm


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